The Perfect Father's Day
by Kristen3
Summary: Niles starts the day by doing something surprising for his wife, but it's his idea on how to spend Father's Day that ends up touching everyone in the Crane family. Dedicated to the lovely Melinda (samanddianefan10), for allowing me to use her experience to write this!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Many thanks to Melinda ( **samanddianefan10** ) for allowing me to use her experience as the basis for a story, and giving me suggestions. This turned out way longer than I meant it to, but that's really nothing new! I hope this story lives up to your expectations, Melinda!

Niles awoke and looked at the angel lying beside him. Daphne was apparently sound asleep. _No wonder_ , he thought. She'd been up several times last night with David, who was ill. She deserved her rest. Suddenly, an idea struck. He would make breakfast for her, so that she wouldn't even need to get out of bed.

But as he made his way out into the hall, he remembered the date. It was Father's Day. This was supposed to be _his_ day to relax. Still, he knew Daphne did so much to help the household run. He could never miss a chance to let her know how much he loved her. He'd spent seven years missing countless chances. After a quick stop at the nursery to check on David (also sleeping peacefully), he tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen.

Daphne often joked about her lack of cooking talent. It had been a frequent topic of conversation during the years that she had lived with Frasier and his father. Deep in his heart, Niles knew they were right. She would never have a future as a gourmet cook. But there were so many other wonderful things about her, he tried not to dwell on the negative. He knew that she tried hard. But today, he could do at least something to ease her load. He didn't know how long it would be before she woke and discovered him missing. She would certainly panic when she couldn't find him upstairs, so Niles knew he had to get the food ready as quickly as possible.

He looked around the kitchen, trying to figure out what would be the easiest. Staring into the refrigerator, he saw pancake mix. _Perfect_ , he thought. If he had more time, he would gladly make them from scratch, but he couldn't think about that now. Daphne would be amazed he'd done anything at all, especially when she probably expected to be doing something for him.

The directions on the package were fairly straightforward, and in no time, he'd managed to make several pancakes that looked perfect. He quickly placed them on a plate, grabbed jelly out of the fridge, remembering how she preferred that over syrup, and poured a glass of juice. Everything was ready and placed on a tray, but still he felt something was missing. He remembered Daphne had bought some flowers the other day, saying the living room needed a bit of color. One quick _snip_ with a pair of scissors, and he had a beautiful, perfect rose. He slipped the flower into a vase, and decided this breakfast was now surely worthy of an angel.

He climbed the stairs as quickly as he could, making sure the breakfast remained intact. He balanced the tray in one hand and opened the bedroom door. To his relief, Daphne hadn't moved. Apparently, she wasn't even aware he'd been gone. He said a silent prayer of thanks that his plan had worked. He walked over to where she lay, taking a moment to inhale the wonderful scent of her shampoo. Then he leaned down, gently kissing her lips. "Good morning, my love."

Daphne awoke immediately. She was confused to see her husband standing over her. "What's wrong? Is David all right?"

"Yes, there's nothing for you to worry about. I just took the liberty of preparing breakfast for you, since you had such a difficult night last night."

"Oh, Niles. That's very sweet of you," she said, kissing him. "But...isn't today Father's Day? Shouldn't I be making _your_ breakfast?"

"Well, I know this is a bit unorthodox, but I know how hard you work. I just couldn't miss a chance to let you know how much I love you, and I appreciate all you do." He placed the tray in front of her.

"Well, that's very nice to hear. I'll admit, taking care of a baby is certainly no picnic. But I don't mind it, really. David's such a wonderful boy. And, well, I know how hard you work, seeing patients all day. It's the least I can do to take care of this place."

Niles sat beside her on the bed. Even first thing in the morning, she was beautiful. "But even before you knew how I felt about you, you worked so hard, taking care of Dad all those years. I can't forget about that, either."

"Oh, Darling, I don't even mind all of that. After all, that's what led me to you. This is a happy ending better than I could've dreamed of. I still have to pinch meself some days to make sure it's all real!"

"It is, my love. It's I who must pinch myself, because I can hardly believe you're here next to me, after so many lonely years." He reached out to caress her cheek.

Daphne sighed at his touch. She was about to say something more, but she suddenly realized she was hungry. And the pancakes did smell wonderful. Upon tasting them, she found that they were as good as they looked. "Oh, Niles. You went to too much trouble! Now what am I supposed to do for you? This is still your day!"

Niles thought for a moment before speaking. Any day spent with David and Daphne was perfect. They were the reason he worked so hard. Even if he only got to spend time with them on weekends, it was enough. But then Niles remembered something. He wasn't only a father. He was also a son. His life with Daphne would not have happened had it not been for his father's insistence on hiring an eccentric healthcare worker from Manchester. "Well, why don't we go visit Dad?" he asked.

When she heard Niles' suggestion, Daphne could only smile. She had expected him to mention a gourmet restaurant, or an evening of opera. Those were his two favorite things. But he chose instead to spend the day visiting his own father. It seemed only fitting."That sounds lovely. Just give me a moment to finish me breakfast and get dressed. Then I'll get David ready, and we'll go pay your father a visit. I can't think of a more perfect thing to do today."


	2. Chapter 2

Less than an hour later, the three of them stood outside Martin and Ronee's door. Luckily, David seemed to be much better this morning. Daphne couldn't help feeling a bit excited as she prepared to knock. She knew Martin wouldn't be expecting them.

Just as she'd thought, Martin was stunned when he opened the door and saw them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Well, Dad, Daphne asked me what I wanted to do today, and that got me thinking about how I wouldn't even have her or David if it hadn't been for you." Niles hugged his father tightly.

Martin hardly knew what to say. "Niles, I've told you before, I didn't have anything to do with this. I just wanted to hire Daphne because I liked her, and I knew she drove your brother crazy! Everything else that happened, well, that was all you."

Now it was Daphne's turn to hug the old man. "Well, whatever your reasons were, I'm very grateful," she said.

"You guys didn't need to come here and tell me all that. But I'm glad you did, and that you brought this little guy!" Martin smiled at his grandson. David, in turn, began to babble.

"David was a bit sick last night, but he seems fine now," Daphne informed her father-in-law. "He certainly got excited when I told him where we were going!"

Martin took the baby from Daphne's arms. "You wanted to come see your old grandpa, didn't you?"

Just then, Ronee came into the room. "What brings you guys here so early?"

"Well, it's Father's Day, and I thought we should come by and say thanks to Dad for all he's done for us," Niles answered.

Ronee looked at her husband, who seemed thrilled to be holding David. "I'm sure Marty told you that wasn't necessary. It looks like he's gotten all the thanks he needs."

Daphne smiled. It never failed to touch her to see how much Martin loved his grandson. "I don't think I could ever thank Niles enough," she said. "He woke me up this morning with breakfast in bed."

"On Father's Day?" Martin asked.

Niles laughed. "Yeah. Daphne was up a lot last night with David, so it seemed like the least I could do. I love David, but I know I could never take care of him on my own. At least not as well as she does."

"Daphne, don't ever let this guy go," Ronee said.

"Oh, I don't plan to," Daphne replied, slipping her hand into Niles'.

"Ronee, are you saying you want me to make _you_ breakfast in bed?" Martin asked.

"Well, you could take a lesson from Niles," Ronee answered, giving him a teasing look.

"Thanks a lot, Niles, now you're making me look bad!"

"Oh, come on. You managed to satisfy Mom all those years. You can't be that bad," Niles laughed.

Just then, David buried his head into Martin's shoulder. Martin had spent so much of his life working, trying to give his wife and sons a good life. It hadn't been easy. He'd had his share of ups and downs. But now, looking at David, he saw it had all been worth it. He loved being a father, and he'd thought nothing could ever top the pride he felt in knowing that his two sons were both successful psychiatrists. However, right now, he was experiencing something far greater: the chance to be a grandfather. He often forgot how lucky he was to have Ronee and his family in his life. But at a moment like this, he could never be anything but grateful.

 **The End**


End file.
